Americans Okay with Medical Marijuana Legislation for Adults, But Not For Children
Although South Carolina and Georgia have both recently passed limited medical marijuana legislation specifically to allow children with debilitating chronic illnesses to use medical marijuana oil, a recent poll shows that this type of medical marijuana legislation is actually unpopular in most of the US.
The poll was conducted by the University of Michigan Health System, and found that most adults in the US are okay with medical marijuana use, but only if it is done away from children. The survey involved over 2,000 adults who, in November and December last year, were asked questions regarding medical marijuana use in adults, and in children. About 80% of respondents said they did not agree with adults using medical marijuana around children.
However, about 1/3 of the respondents said they were okay with children receiving prescriptions for medical marijuana; about 2/3 of the respondents wanted medical marijuana legalized for adults.
The view that children should be protected from medical marijuana use in adults was most popular among parents of children younger than age 18.
“Our findings suggest that not only is the public concerned about the use of medical marijuana among children, but that the majority of Americans worry that even exposure to it may be harmful to kids’ health,” said Matthew Davis, director of the National Poll on Children’s Health. “As is typical with anything involving health, the public’s standards are much higher when it comes to protecting children’s health.”
In addition, the survey found that 10% of US adults either have a medical marijuana prescription, or know someone who does. About 7% of the respondents either use medical marijuana around children, or know someone who does.
New bills in Congress are asking the federal government to change its stance on marijuana, so the drug’s potential medical benefits can be studied, and so medical marijuana users will not face prosecution when traveling to other states. Currently, the federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance, with no potential medical benefit or other legal use. This means that US doctors and scientists cannot study the potential benefits of the drug for pharmaceuticals. Additionally, although the DEA agreed not to prosecute medical marijuana growers in states as each state figures out its own medical marijuana legislation, crossing state lines with medical marijuana is a federal offense.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help Medical Marijuana Users Who Face Drug Charges in South Carolina
The South Carolina drug charges defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm understand that medical marijuana legislation changes all the time all over the country, and the changes can be confusing. We offer a free, confidential consultation to discuss your drug charges, so contact us today for help. 803.252.4800
